KMSS plans graft white paper

OUR CORRESPONDENT

Guwahati, March 15: The Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti (KMSS) today announced that it would publish a “white paper” to highlight corruption charges against politicians and government officials in Assam ahead of the Lok Sabha election.

The KMSS, which spearheads a movement for land to the landless in the state, has been alleging that hundreds of bighas of agricultural land have been illegally allocated to business groups although the government has denied land to the poor and the landless. The KMSS is also using the RTI Act to expose corruption in government departments.

“Our district units will prepare lists of politicians and government officials against whom there are charges of corruption. This will help people know our politicians better and accordingly take a decision while voting. Although we have been fighting against the ruling Congress, our white paper will expose corrupt leaders irrespective of their political affiliations,” KMSS joint general secretary Bedanta Laskar said here.

The KMSS is also planning to gather one lakh supporters for a rally this month to step up pressure on the government to offer land to landless farmers and those living on hills, near wetlands and other government land. It has been demanding 12 bighas of land for the landless in rural areas with sufficient irrigation facility and 1.5 kotha for those living in the urban areas.

Hours before the announcement, KMSS president Akhil Gogoi was remanded in judicial custody for another 14 days after being produced in the court of Kamrup (metro) additional chief judicial magistrate in connection with a case registered on charges of assaulting a police officer in Guwahati last year.

The case (2048/2013) was registered with Dispur police station under Section 353 IPC after Akhil allegedly assaulted a deputy superintendent of police during a protest seeking land rights.

“He was earlier shown arrested in this case and today being the date of production, the court sent him to judicial custody which will conclude on March 28,” Akhil’s lawyer Bijan Mahajan said.

Akhil and five other KMSS leaders were arrested on March 2 for allegedly abetting the self-immolation of Pranab Boro, a landless person living on Gorchuk hill in Guwahati. Boro had set himself on fire in front of the state secretariat at Dispur on February 24.

Akhil and his associates have filed bail petition in the Gauhati High Court, a decision on which has been deferred till March 19.